I. ˈtikəl verb
( tickled ; tickled ; tickling -k(ə)liŋ ; tickles )
Etymology: Middle English tikelen; akin to Old English tinclian to tickle and probably to Old English citelian to tickle, Old High German kizzilōn, kuzzilōn, Old Norse kitla
intransitive verb
1. obsolete : to feel excitement, tingling, or titillation : tingle or thrill with or as if with pleasure
he with secret joy therefore did tickle inwardly in every vein — Edmund Spenser
2. : to have a tingling or restless sensation
my back tickles
3. : to excite the surface nerves : cause a tickle
that feather tickles
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to excite or stir up agreeably : awaken a sensation of pleasure in : furnish with especially sensual gratification
a piece of music … does more than tickle our sense of rhythm or color — Edward Sapir
it tickles the sense of vicarious adventure — John Dolman
intentional cheapening of her work to tickle the banal reader — Sinclair Lewis
(2) : to excite or arouse from dormancy or to a higher degree : stimulate , annoy , provoke
it tickled all that is evil in me — O.W.Holmes †1935
the self-esteem of the selected candidates was immensely tickled — Tom Marvel
men have to be … tickled up by propaganda before they'll fight — Aldous Huxley
b.
(1) : to excite amusement or merriment in : arouse the sense of humor of : amuse
so excessively tickled by the jest that he couldn't forget it — Charles Dickens
(2) : to provide with pleasure or enjoyment : make pleased
how tickled they were … because they still had time to sell our rooms to four royalists — Christopher Morley
2.
a.
(1) : to touch (as a person or a part of the body) lightly with or as if with the fingers so as to excite the surface nerves and to cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements
the physical spasm which seizes children when they are tickled — Willa Cather
(2) : to tease, torment, or pet by or as if by tickling
the sound of the wrapping paper being torn away tickled his ears — N.A.Wasserman
(3) : to bring into a specified state by or as if by tickling
be tickled to death to see you
all were tickled pink to be on land again
b. : to touch or stir gently
the piano player tickled the keys
c. : to capture (a fish) by groping for it with the hands and sliding the fingers into its gills
3. : whip , chastise , beat
Synonyms: see please
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- tickle it
- tickle the palm of
II. noun
( -s )
1. : something (as a touch) that tickles
2. : a tickling sensation
3. : the act or process of tickling